You Don’t Have to Be Fearless
You don't have to be fearless, but
you can't let fear stop you. I've
been doing things I'm scared of
all of my life, including writing this piece.
Because, dear reader, I never thought I
would become an author.
When I was in middle school, I
wanted to be a reporter. None of the
various schools I went to had a school
About the Author
newspaper, but I made sure we started one as
soon as I got there. I felt I could do anything and that I
had a life-changing task at hand at the time. I thought
I would make my fellow students' lives better with
every edition. And I wasn't afraid then. In my mind,
there were no obstacles for me when I was 14. I would
never take no for an answer, and it was the best
feeling ever.
As I grew older, I discovered my talent and
passion for creativity, art, advertising, and business. I no
longer wanted only to be a reporter; I also wanted to do
other things. My career progressed and took all sorts
of shifts and turns in the last 18 years, and I never
really made it as a Journalist (at least not yet). Life had
other plans for me, and embracing change through
fear has brought me to where I am today.
By Valentina Gomez Bravo
In the middle of a very bizarre year, I got invited to
be part of a book. I was unsure about accepting the
invitation. Whenever I got asked where I see myself in
5, 10, or 20 years from now, I always said, "I've never
had a set-in-stone plan," but more often than not,
along with listing other dreams of mine, I often blurted
out the words: "maybe I'll even write a couple of books
one day." Who knew the first step towards that dream
would come sooner than expected.
I was both excited and scared, which is always
a good indication that it's the right time. As I
procrastinated to write my chapter, impostor syndrome
kicked in. The closer I got to completing my story, the
more I heard a voice in my head planting seeds of
doubt. Nonetheless, despite all of my fears around
jumping into this new adventure, I did it; and I can't
wait for you to read it.
The book is Women of The World: Stories of
Multicultural Women. In this book, you will find
uplifting, amazing stories from women worldwide to
overcome challenges and struggles and win in all
aspects of life. My chapter is titled "V de Valiente" (B for
Brave), and my story is all about conquering your fears,
embracing change, and living a courageous and
purposeful life.
I think about that fearless 14-year-old me every
time I am scared of doing something new that I know
will be great deep down. I wasn't fearless about it, but
I didn't let fear stop me. Today, I'm officially an author.
So, dear reader, what fear will you be conquering next?
Valentina Gomez Bravo is an award-winning
creative multi-passionate businesswoman, thought
leader, and change-maker. She has over 18 years
of experience in the advertising industry building
local and international brands. She is a multicultural
brand strategist, creative director, educator, speaker,
author and social activist. Gomez has been awarded
six American Advertising Awards for her work
with Bunker +58 and received the AAF District
10 - 2020 Mosaic Champion Award for her
commitment to diversity and inclusion through her
creative work and community-wide initiatives. She’s
the founder and lead at Bunker +58 Branding &
Design Studio, USA en Español, Texas en Español,
and The Empathy League. Creativity, Education,
Empathy, and the growth, development, and
advancement of women and Latinos are her main
platforms. She leads with passion, integrity and
determination always keeping her work and life in
tune with the values her family, mentors, friends,
and teachers have taught her throughout life. Visit
www.valentinagomezbravo.com for more info
and to get in touch.
42 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 27, No. 3, 2021
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